Creme Brulee with Chartreuse, Star Anise, Ginger

Source: Robert Neuman from a New Orleans restaurant he likes. March, 2002

Ingredients

• 3 cups Heavy Cream
• 3 cups Half And Half
• 4 Basil Leaves
• 8 Star Anise
• 12 Egg Yolks
• ½ lb. Sugar
• 2 Ginger*, Roughly Chopped
• ¼ cup Chartreuse

Method

Combine cream, half-and-half, basil, ginger, anise, and half of the sugar. Steep over low heat for ½ hour. Steep long enough to identify all flavors.

Combine sugar, yolks and whisk. Do not do this til mixture is well steeped - your yolks will get clumpy or “burn” if they sit with the sugar.

While whisking, pour some steeped cream mixture into yoks mixture and pour the warmed yolks into whole of steeped mix. This is called tempering.

Strain mixture. Add Chartreuse and stir.

Pour into ramekins. Set ramekins in large pan, pour hot water half way up the sides. Bake in a 275°F oven until set.

Serve as a custard or sprinkle sugar on the top and brulee with blow torch.

Notes

½ RECIPE uses sugar ¼ cup for first addition and ¼ cup for second addition.

Robt. didn’t use Chartreuse but Brandy. Also used *crystallized ginger because he said the lady told him to do that.

Also he didn’t use basil leaves.